1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and reproducing device such as video tape recorders (VTR) and more particularly, to a cassette loading device for loading a cassette having a magnetic tape therein such that the tape is wound at the tape drive section in the video tape recorder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cassette loading devices of the front loading type and of the linear skating type are well-known as the conventional cassette loading devices for VTRs. In the cassette loading device of the front loading type, the cassette is horizontally inserted into the cabinet through a slot thereof and is received and carried to the tape drive section in the cabinet by a carriage system. The cassette thus carried to the tape drive section is then carried by the carriage system to be removed from the cabinet through the slot thereof. In the cassette setting device of the linear skating type, the whole tape drive section in the cabinet is carried outside the cabinet and the cassette is set directly into the tape drive section.
In the former case the operator need only place the cassette in the carriage system in the cabinet, but it is difficult for the operator to confirm whether or not the cassette is reliably carried and set in the tape drive section of the cabinet. Loading of the cassette in the cabinet in this manner, therefore, cannot satisfy the users. In the latter case, the users can reliably set the cassette in the tape drive section, but to do so the whole of the tape drive system must be moved into and out of the cabinet. This makes the structure of the carriage system and the tape drive section quite complicated.
There is a need, therefore, for a cassette loading device which is simple in structure and capable of reliably setting the cassette at the tape drive section of the cabinet as seen in the case of the conventional linear skating type.
A cassette loading device of the tray type is now believed to meet this need, wherein a tray for carrying and holding the cassette is arranged as to be freely inserted into and pulled out of the cabinet and the cassette is set at the tape drive section in the cabinet by the tray. In the case of the cassette loading device of the tray type, it is not enough only to arrange the tray in such a way that the tray can be freely inserted into and pulled out of the cabinet. The cassette placed in the tray must be carried to the tape drive section in the cabinet and the cassette thus set at the tape drive section must then be carried outside the cabinet. This requires various kinds of component parts to organically combine the tray with the tape drive section.
It is quite difficult to directly use the component parts of the conventional front loading and linear skating type devices in order to organically combine the tray with the tape drive section. There is a need, therefore, to provide a cassette loading device having such a structure that allows the cassette to be more reliably carried into and out of the cabinet by simpler operation.
The object of the, present invention is therefore to provide a cassette loading device of the tray type capable of more accurately and reliably carrying the cassette into and out of the cabinet to set it at the tape drive section in the cabinet.